Wilkes turned his attention to Loki. “Do you share the same opinion, Miss Redmond?”
“I believe there are things we don’t understand, Agent Wilkes, but like Jake, I also believe a lot of it is a hoax.” Her gaze passed between him and Nikolic. “Surely you didn’t come here to get our opinion on psychics?”
“No, that’s not why we’re here.” Wilkes rose, crossed to the counter, and poured two cups of black coffee. He set one in front of Teresa and sipped from the other. “I came here so you could tell me the truth about the cabin, the creek bank, and the bodies buried there.”
“And what makes you think we aren’t telling the truth?” Jake glared at him through eyes filled with suspicion.
“Because we haven’t found the babies yet.” Wilkes studied Loki’s face for a reaction.
Her eyes widened slightly. “How did you…?”
Wilkes returned to the table and straddled a chair. “I watched you at the creek, studying the places they were digging. We weren’t finding everything you thought we would.” He lifted one shoulder and tilted his head, continuing to watch her face closely. “And the pelvic bones of two of the girls showed they had given birth shortly before they died.”
“That still doesn’t mean we know anything more than what we told you,” Loki said, avoiding eye contact with him.
Wilkes turned his attention to Jake. “Mr. Savior, you were a dedicated police officer for a long time. One of the best in Corpus Christi. Are you going to play these games with us?”
Jake tossed his cup in the sink and stalked toward the back door. “Why don’t you call your psychic and ask her what you need to know?”
The room was silent for several moments after his departure.
Wilkes stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing. “Well, I’m afraid that didn’t go quite like I planned.”
Loki’s chin jutted outward, and she held his eyes with a steady gaze. “If you know enough to know his history, you knew mentioning his police career wasn’t a good move.”
“I don’t have time to be tactful. We need to find this guy, Miss Redmond, and the sooner the better.”
“All right, but I have conditions.”
“I’m listening.”
“First, Jake and I stay on this case. We want to work it without interference from the FBI.”
“You’ll find my team works outside the normal boundaries of the FBI, so we can arrange that. Number two?”
“You don’t remove the girl or the baby from this property or try to take the baby away from the girl. And we keep the fact she’s alive hidden as long as possible.”
“I’m not sure I can promise that, but I’ll do everything in my power to keep the two of them together and here for the time being. The latest victim was Penelope Gardina. We’ll have to let her mother know she’s been found. Since you didn’t call the locals, we may be able to hold off on revealing where and how.”
“It will take them a couple of hours to get here. She doesn’t remember much. One of the bodies you found along the bank belonged to the girl before her. Her name was Isabella.”
“She may remember more than she thinks. Sometimes it depends on how you ask the questions,” Wilkes said.
“She’s fragile. You have no clue what she’s been through.”
“I may know more than you think, Miss Redmond. You saw this guy. Would you be willing to work with a sketch artist?”
“Please, call me Loki, and of course, I’ll do anything I can to help find him.”
Wilkes stood and nodded for Teresa to follow him. “Good. We’ll go to the motel, get some sleep, and join you here in the morning.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Teresa sat back in her seat and sighed. Wilkes’s hands were tight around the wheel, his mind a million miles away. “So, what do you think of Loki?”
He turned to stare at her. “What do you mean?”
“Rosetta shared her report. Is she for real?”
“That’s not why we’re here, Nik.”
“It’s not why I’m here, Wilkes, but I have a strange feeling it’s exactly why you’re here. Aren’t you always trying to add to your team? A ghost whisperer, or whatever you want to call her talent, could be a real asset.”
He parked in front of a motel and tossed her a set of keys. “You’re in Room Ten. And I told you, that’s not why I’m here.”
Teresa opened her door. “Well, we both know why I’m here. I’ll call and get a sketch artist on the way.”
His back was stiff as he walked away from her.
I hate this damn job and the director, and I hate this damn cold weather. She tugged her thin jacket close against the frigid wind and hauled her suitcase out of the car. And why the fuck didn’t somebody tell me it was cold here before I packed? It wasn’t her fault Wilkes and his team were on thin ice. There had been too many broken rules and too much bad publicity. The Bureau wanted to pull the plug, and for the time being that was her job. Stick close and gather evidence against him to prove he was more interested in studying the paranormal than being an agent and solving cases. She sighed and glanced at the numbers on the doors, searching for Room Ten. She had her own agenda, and if Loki Redmond was real, she planned on using her.
Teresa inserted her key into the lock, surprised to find the light on and Karen Vanderputt in the second bed. “What are you doing here?”
“Backup.” Karen yawned. “Figured I’d grab a nap before heading out to the farm.” She sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed. “So how was it?”
Teresa dumped her purse and keys in the armchair and sat on the bed. “A nightmare. Three bodies so far. All young girls.”
“Was Wilkes right?”
Teresa threw her hands up in the air and glared at her. “When is he ever wrong? Even if Redmond had refused to tell us about the girl, he already knew. They moved her and the baby to some cabin on the farm before we got there. We’re supposed to see them in the morning.”
“Bloody hell,” Karen whispered, “sometimes that man is scary.” She waved at the suitcase next to the door. “I packed you some winter clothes. Have you told Wilkes yet?”
“Told him what?” Teresa blurted out. “The director wants me to spy on him so he can kick his group out? Sure, I told him. It makes working together a hell of a lot of fun.”
Karen stretched out on the bed. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about, Teresa.”
Teresa stood and headed for the shower. “No, I haven’t told him about your drawing, and I’m not going to.” She turned at the door. “And neither are you.”
~ ~ ~
Loki yawned, wishing she’d had the luxury of a few more hours of sleep. Wilkes and his partner, as well as the sketch artist, Karen Vanderputt, had arrived shortly after dawn, and none of them looked as if they’d slept well. What was more interesting to Loki was the fact none of the three were talking to each other or even looking at each other. The tension between them was almost a tangible force in the small kitchen.
“Grace is changing the baby, and Dadron, Jules, and Jake are checking outside. They’ll join us shortly. Would anyone like something to drink?”
Wilkes shook his head, and Teresa laughed. “Got any whiskey?”
Wilkes glared at her, and Karen intervened. “Water would be lovely, Miss Redmond.”
Loki filled a glass and set it in front of her. “Do you want to work on the sketch now or wait until after Grace has been interviewed? And please, call me Loki.”
Karen met her gaze then looked closely at Wilkes and Nikolic. Her lips lifted in a brief smile. “I think we should wait.”
The back door opened, and Dadron came in, followed closely by Jake and Jules. Loki made the introductions. “Dadron, why don’t you and Jules go take care of the baby and send Grace in?”
Wilkes rose and shook hands with Dadron and Jules. “Before we talk to Grace, I’d like to talk to Mr. Savior.”
Jake eyed the group, smiling at Karen. “It’s nice to see you again, K
aren. How’s the FBI?”
She grinned at him. “Everything you told me it would be.”
He finally turned his attention to Wilkes. “Go ahead and talk. Loki and I don’t have any secrets from each other, and we’re not going to start now.”
The animosity between the two men was apparent to Loki, and she needed to nip it if they were going to work together and before Grace joined them. She’d never be able to talk to them with this much tension in the room. “Wilkes is right, Jake. The two of you need to talk. And I’d like to spend some time with Teresa and Karen. We’re all going to be working together, and I don’t want Grace in a room of hostile people.”
Jake snapped his lips together and headed out the back door. Wilkes followed and closed the door behind him.
“So are you two part of Wilkes’s team?” Loki asked.
“No.” Teresa joined her at the sink. “Can’t you tell? I think I’ll take that cup of coffee now.”
Loki pushed her hair behind her ears. “The tension is apparent. You’re both glaring at each other most of the time.” She glanced at Karen. “And you haven’t spoken to Teresa since you got here.”
“Teresa and I work together a lot. Most of the time we agree on things.” Karen smiled and lifted a shoulder. “Not all the time.”
“And not this time?” Loki watched them closely, looking for a clue of what was behind the tension.
Karen shook her head as Teresa returned to the table. “We haven’t exactly seen eye to eye on certain facets of the case.”
“I think I’ll go check on Grace.” Loki left the room, leaving the two of them together. Jake was right. Working with the FBI is going to be a real pain in the ass.
~ ~ ~
“Let’s walk.” Wilkes headed for the barn.
Jake followed at a slower pace, eying the forest and surrounding terrain. His police instincts were screaming at him to stay vigilant. “You know this guy is out there somewhere, don’t you?”
Wilkes opened the barn doors, his eyes going to the stains on the floor. “You want to tell me about the steps, and these?” He pointed at the huge spots in front of each stall.
“He killed our two horses and some other animal last night.”
Wilkes knelt and studied the ground. “Normal kills, or did he torture them first?”
“He slit the horses’ throats, but the one on the steps was tortured, and skinned.”
Wilkes stood and dusted off his hands. “Whatever I said last night that ticked you off, I’m sorry. Your partner has made it clear the two of you are going to work this case. We’ll get more done and hopefully catch this guy if we work together.”
Jake grunted and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “I’ve worked with the Bureau before. Can’t say I liked it then, and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like it now.”
“I can understand your hesitance, but you’ve never worked with my crew. Our motto is if the rule isn’t working, break it.” Wilkes’s gaze went to the bloodstains. “I have a feeling with this one, we’ll be breaking a few rules.”
“So what do you have in mind?”
Wilkes nodded toward the house. “The girl trusts you. I think she’ll open up more and tell us more if you do the questioning. We need to know where he’s taking the girls from, how he’s getting them, and how he manages to keep them hidden for so long.”
“She doesn’t know. Loki and I both asked her these questions when we first found her.”
Wilkes studied the floor of the barn as he paced in front of the stalls. “No matter how much trauma we go through, our memories are still there. Trust me, she knows. She chooses not to remember. I can help her remember, but I need her to trust me, and I don’t think we have that kind of time. We need to track him before he disappears.”
“I don’t think he’s going too far.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Loki saw his face. He’s going to have to kill her or else he’ll be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Guys like him don’t get captured because they don’t leave loose ends. Right now Loki is a loose end.”
Wilkes didn’t comment, but his steps picked up pace. “What do you want me to do?” Jake asked.
“Get Grace to close her eyes. Ask her questions about her mother, her house, people she went to school with. Guide her memory back to the day he took her so we can find out where and how.”
“What I don’t understand,” Jake said, “is with all the access you guys have to information, how has this guy stayed off your radar?”
“We’re not perfect.”
“I thought you were psychic?”
“I have some ability. More of a projectionist-slash-scanner. Sometimes I get a niggling of the future.” His eyes homed in on Jake’s face, and he lowered his voice. “Like this time.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “So what did you see?”
Wilkes reached inside his pocket and pulled out a drawing. “I don’t see things. I draw them.” He handed the paper to Jake. “And you’re right about the danger to Loki. I drew this four days ago. When your call came in, I was trying to find a way to figure out who the girl was.”
Jake held the drawing, his heart beginning to pound as a pulse beat rapidly in the side of his neck. “Why didn’t you show this to us in the beginning?”
“You made it pretty plain you didn’t care much for paranormal abilities.”
“And you think this is the future?” Jake held the drawing out to him.
“Keep it. You can share it with Loki if you want, but it’s been my experience sharing the information too soon can bring about the thing you’re trying to prevent. And yes, it can be the future unless we change it. I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know. As you said, this guy hasn’t made a lot of mistakes. Letting Loki live after seeing his face was one. He’s going to correct that, and I’m guessing he’s coming pretty soon.”
Jake kicked at a pebble and stared at the old farmhouse. “So assuming I believe any of this, how do we change the future?”
Wilkes joined him after closing the barn door and dropping the bar into place to lock it. “We find him first and take him out of the equation. Let’s go talk to Grace.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Loki placed a hand on Grace’s shoulder. “I think she’s had enough. She’s told you everything she could.”
Using his cell phone, Wilkes snapped a picture of Grace, closed his notebook, and signaled Jake to take a break. Grace immediately fled to her bedroom.
Wilkes typed a text, attached the picture, and sent it. “As soon as Rosetta finishes running the databases for information on Grace, I’m going to have her run the information for the latest victim. We need to start looking for similarities.”
Loki sat down by Jake. “What about the babies?”
“Good question. They weren’t buried along the bank. Any theories?” Wilkes asked.
“From what Grace described of Mother, I assumed it was some type of ritual and they were killing them.” Loki shrugged. “Now, I don’t know.”
“Money,” Jake said.
“What?” Loki gaped at him.
Jake shrugged. “Take the mother out of the picture, and forget the fact this guy is crazy, and you come back to the same reason most criminals do things. It’s all about the money. If I were guessing, I’d say he’s selling the babies.”
Wilkes was nodding and making notes. “Rosetta may hate me before the night is over. I’d say your guess is dead-on.” His cell beeped to show he had a new message, and he opened his email. “Sometimes Rosetta amazes even me.” He turned his phone around so everyone could see the picture. “Grace’s real name is Gwendolyn Dillon. She disappeared from Grendale, New York, three years ago.” He passed the phone to Loki.
Jake looked over her shoulder, reading the information. “Not much there.”
Loki passed the phone to Teresa, who had been suspiciously quiet since Wilkes and Jake had returned from outside. She barely glanced at
the picture then handed the phone to Wilkes.
“Unfortunately with the poor and sometimes even middle-class children, that happens. So many go missing, and the parents are involved in things that put their children at risk. Too many suspects and not enough law enforcement to chase them all down. I’ll contact the police department in Grendale and get the name of the officer who worked the case. Any chance you two could check it out? I’ll clear it for you to question him, then Teresa and I will head over to Selma, Alabama, and see if we can pick up anything from Mrs. Gardina.”
“Has anyone spoken with them about their daughter being found?” Jake asked. “Otherwise it seems sort of cruel to pounce on them.”
Wilkes nodded. “The mother is the only living relative, and she was told yesterday.”
Loki brought up a search engine and flight schedule. “We can be on a plane at nine in the morning and be there by one at the latest.”
“Book it.” Jake ran a hand over the stubble on his face. “This guy is on the move, and he’s pretty good about staying hidden. The more information we get, the sooner we can find him.”
Karen walked in holding a giggling Hope in her arms. “We got a plan, boss?”
Wilkes nodded. “Teresa and I will head over to Selma in the morning. Jake and Loki are heading to New York.” He glanced at Loki. “The two of you need to get started on a sketch now. Be a real good thing if we could take it with us.”
Teresa leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table. “So what about Grace and Hope? We can’t leave them here unprotected.”
“Dadron and Jules can stay with them, and Bruiser hasn’t left Grace’s side since we brought her home. I think they’re well protected,” Loki said.
“Where are your brothers?” Wilkes asked.
“Setting up a few more surprises around the perimeter, in case we have visitors.”
“And I’ll be here.” Karen stared at Teresa, her eyes darkening with an unspoken challenge. “I’ve been cleared to stay until we finish the case.”
“Should we tell Grace her real name or wait until we have more to go on? It might help her remember something,” Loki said.
The Forgotten Page 7
